Process of treating impure crude oil



W J. F. WRIGHT PROCESS OF TREATING IMPURE CRUDE OIL Filed Jan. 26. '1924 Wu F sm 0030+;

Patented May 3, 1927.

iii-airs JOHN F. WRIGHT, OF EL DORADO, ARKANSAS.

PROCESS OF TREATING IMPURE CRUDE OIL.

Application filed January 26, 1924. Serial No. 688,633.

My invention relates to a process of treating petrolcun'i oil to free it of impurities and break up emulsions of such oil with water, basic sediincn't and other objectionable matter.

It is an object of my invention to pro vide a method of treating impure crude oil whereby it may be cleaned of impurities without. the use of chemicals.

Another object is to clean the oil of its impurities largely through agitation and settling under heat without the loss of the ligl'itcr distillatcs through evaporation in a simple and economical manner.

It is now common to cause the separation of oil and its emulsions of oil and basic sediment by methods including the use of heat and chemicals through the use of costly apparatus or by electrical dehydration, centrifugal machines and similar processes involving a costly installation and expensive upkeep. The process devised by me is intended to be simple economical and con tinuous.

Referring to the drawing herewith wherein a preferrtwl embodiment of my invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through an installation employing my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse section through-my propeller wheel. Like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts in all the views.

In carrying out my invention I employ a large treating tank 1 having in the bottom of the same a. series of steam coils 2 tending to heat the contents of the tank. At

one side of the bottom is a chamber 3 boxed oil from the rest of the tank but having a perforated top 4. This forms a super-heater from which water is drawn to mix with the oil to be treated through an outlet pipe The steam pipes passing through this chamber maintain the water therein at high temperature.

The oil to be treated, I desire to thorough-v ly mix in atomized form with a spray of hot water. I do this .by spraying the oil with hot water drawn from the pipe 5 into closedchamber 6, mountedat 7 onthe arched upper end 8 of the tank. The two liquids are pumped in under pressure through two inclined nozzles 9 and 10, the nozzle 10 being connected with a sourcc of supply of oilunder pressure and the pipe 5 taking hot water from the coil 2 undccthe action of the pump shown in the drawing.

Within the chamber is a propeller wheel ll mounted on a vertical stub shaft 12 having hearings in the frame work of the housing. The blades or vanps 13 of the propeller are radial but have their outer ends curved rearwardly so as to better receive the impulse of the jets of liquid from the spray nozzles. thus causing the rotation of the propeller.

On the shaft 12 below the pro eller is a. crown gear wheel 14:, positione with a smaller gear 15,-upon a shaft 16 em tending downwardly into the treating tank and baring a bearing at 17, in a spider 18 at the lower end of a cylindrical tube or agitating pipe 20. This tube is secured to the upper end 8 of the tank and extends to a point immediately above the steain'coils 2. The lower end is open and the fluid discharged downwardly will strike a horizontal ballle 21 below the outlet and secured to the tube by connecting strips 22.

Mounted upon the shaft 16 are a series of agitating members comprising longitudinal Paddles or blades 23 at the upper end. Below these blades are radial agitating vanes to mesh.

2-4; curved to imparta downward drive upon the liquid. Below these blades is a spiral or screw blade 19, also adapted to impart a downward motion to the liquid during rotation of the shaft.

Within the tank and fitting about the tube 20 are a plurality of horizontal perforated battles 25 to assist in the separating of the water from the oil and actin to divide said tank into a plurality of vertically arranged settling chambers.

In the operation of the device, oil and hot water are sprayed under pressure against the blades of the propeller 11. The nozzles are inclined so that the sprays will be intimately mixed and the oil acted upon by the hot water. The. mixture ofoil and water will be drawn down into the tube to where it will be further agitated and broken up by the blades and driven forcibly downward by the blades 24- and 19. The agitation of the liquids by the apparatus in the casing 6 and tube 20 assist in breaking up the particles of impurities in the oil whereby they are enabled to settle out; thereafter.

The mixture issues from the tube 20 against the plate 21 and is deflected up away from the steam pipes and through the perforations in the baffles 25. This serves vto retard the flow and breaks up the bubbles which may form and allows the water and sediment to settle out.

This oil which rises to the top will be free of emulsion and may be drawn off through an outlet pipe 26 to a storage tank 27. It will be noted that this process can be made continuous, it being only necessary to clear the treating tank of settlings at intervals through outlet 28. The employment of the suction automatically produced in the operation of the machines makes the process rapid and effective.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new; and desire to protect by Letters'Patent is:

1. The process of treating impure petroleum to relieve it of its impurities comprising spraying and atomizing the impure oil against a rotatable member, spraying hot water into contact with said atomized oil, 20

JOHN .F. WRIGHT. 

